This FY 2002 Annual Performance Plan establishes performance goals that
will lead to the accomplishment of DOLs strategic goals. It also
describes the means and strategies DOL will use to reach its goals. Consistent
with guidance from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and the General
Accounting Office (GAO), DOL has consolidated or aggregated many of its
activities into logical clusters focused around the accomplishment of its
strategic goals. For example, the third strategic goal, Quality Workplaces,
integrates the outcomes of OSHAs and MSHAs performance goals to
reduce workplace injuries and illnesses. In other cases, only one agency within
the Department may contribute to a specific outcome goal.
Under the Workforce Investment Act, the performance indicators
stipulated in the Act have been and continue to be developed through a process
of negotiation between the States and the Department of Labor. The new
Workforce Investment System has led to a retooling of the Employment and
Training Administrations (ETA) performance goals. ETA has consulted with
stakeholders concerning performance and accountability issues and worked in
partnership to develop revised performance goals for Program Year 2002. The
national performance goals for the WIA performance indicators represent an
amalgamation of the goals negotiated with the States.
This section presents DOLs FY 2002 performance goals under each
strategic and outcome goal. Following the listing of performance goals is a
summary of the means and strategies that will be used by DOL to achieve the
outcome and performance goals. Related cross-cutting programs and issues follow
the strategies. Appendix A displays individual matrices for each performance
goal that include the following information:
IndicatorThe measures that will be used to
assess progress towards performance goal accomplishment.
Source of dataThe measurement system(s)
that will be used to collect performance Indicator data.
BaselineThe baseline year and baseline level
against which progress will be evaluated.
CommentIssues related to goal
accomplishment, measurement systems, and strategies that provide a context or
description of the performance goal or indicator.
DOL STRATEGIC GOAL 1
A PREPARED WORKFORCE
Enhance opportunities for America's workforce
OUTCOME GOALS:
- Increase employment, earnings, and assistance
- Increase the number of youth making a successful transition
to work
- Improve the effectiveness of information and analysis on the
U.S. economy
Total Funds for This Goal (in Billions):
|
$6.1 |
$6.8
|
$6.0 |
$6.2 |
$5.5 |
$5.3 |
$7.0
|
$5.4
|
The Department of Labors programs and agencies with the primary
operational responsibility for achieving this strategic goal include the
Employment and Training Administrations Workforce Investment Act (WIA)
and Wagner-Peyser Act programs, the Veterans Employment and Training
Service, the Womens Bureau, the new Office of Disability Employment
Policy, and the Bureau of Labor Statistics. In addition, the Office of the
Solicitor, the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Administration and
Management, and the Office of Inspector General provide indirect support to
this strategic goal.
The FY 2002 outcome and performance goals for this strategic goal
follow. Detailed information on every performance goal, including indicator,
data source, baseline and explanatory comments, can be found in Appendix A.
$2.7 |
$3.4 |
$2.7 |
$3.4 |
$2.3 |
$2.7 |
$5.0 |
$3.8 |
A. |
Increase the employment, retention, and earnings of individuals
registered under the WIA adult program. In Program Year 2002:
- 70% will be employed in the first quarter after program
exit;
- 80% of those employed in the first quarter after program exit
will be employed in the third quarter after program exit; and
- The average earnings change will be $3,423 for those who are
employed in the first quarter after program exit and are still employed in the
third quarter after program exit.
|
B. |
Improve the outcomes for job seekers and employers who receive
public labor exchange services. In Program Year 2002:
- 55%* of job seekers registered with the public labor exchange
will enter employment with a new employer by the end of the second quarter
following registration;
- 70%* of job seekers will continue to be employed two quarters
after initial entry into employment with a new employer; and
- The number of job openings listed with the public labor
exchange (with both State Workforce Agencies and Americas Job Bank) will
be at least the number obtained in Program Year 2001.
|
C. |
Strengthen the registered apprenticeship system to meet the
training needs of business and workers in the 21st Century. In
Fiscal Year 2002:
- Increase the number of new apprenticeship programs over the
established baseline by 10%;
- Increase the number of new businesses involved in
apprenticeship over the established baseline by 10%;
- Increase the number of new apprentices over the established
baseline by 10%; and
- Increase the number of new programs in new and emerging
industries at minimum Information Technology, Health Care and Social
Services over the established baseline by 10%.
|
D. |
Thirty-four percent of veteran job seekers registering for public
labor exchange services will be employed in the first or second quarter
following registration. |
E. |
Increase the employment and retention rate of homeless veterans
enrolled in Homeless Veterans Reintegration Projects (HVRP)
- At least 54% of veterans enrolled in HVRP enter
employment.
- Establish baseline for retention rate.
|
F. |
Implement 12 demonstration programs, through grants, designed to
develop and test strategies and techniques that need to be implemented in order
for One-Stop Centers and WIA youth programs to effectively serve persons with
significant disabilities. |
* DOL is undergoing a transition to a new labor
exchange performance measurement system. These performance goals are estimates
and will be revised when baseline data become available. |
Means and Strategies
Operating Agencies: ETA, VETS, WB, ODEP
Sustained Efforts in FY 2002:
- With State and other partners, DOL will review WIA implementation
experiences to identify key issues, options, and solutions, as they pertain to
the following strategies:
- Enhance the resource base of services available for adults in
the evolving workforce development system by: 1) assuring better program
integration with major partners by educating Workforce Boards, program partners
and staff on opportunities, barriers and solutions; 2) refining Internet
resources such as Americas Labor Market Information System (ALMIS) within
the One-Stop delivery system; and 3) identifying additional methods of
accessing other programs and delivering their services to adults across the
country. (1.1AB)
- Continue to work in close cooperation with state and local
partners in monitoring and overseeing the workforce development system and with
federal partners in promoting unified planning at the state and local levels.
(1.1A)
- Continue to support WIA implementation by: 1) analyzing use of
existing program resources, identifying shortcomings and their causes, and
initiating and promoting corrective actions; 2) providing ongoing technical
assistance to States and local areas as they continue to implement the WIA
provisions dealing with Individual Training Accounts and Eligible Training
Providers; 3) providing technical assistance to system partners in the areas of
service strategies, case management, sequencing of services, priorities of
service, services to employed adults, and other issues relevant to service
delivery under WIA, and 4) investing in capacity building, pilots and
demonstrations, research, and technical assistance. (1.1AB)
- Continue to invest in engaging private-sector employers both as
customers and partners in the workforce development system. (1.1AB)
- DOL will continue to implement the performance-based accountability
provisions of the WIA by specifically undertaking, in collaboration with the
Department of Education, the incentive and sanction process as it applies to
the States for their performance against the agreed upon WIA core indicators of
performance. These indicators constitute the basis for DOLs WIA
performance goals. (1.1A)
- DOL will build on the launch of the Workforce Excellence Network,
the purpose of which is to find ways for State and local workforce
organizations to work together to improve their performance. Under the Network,
training, tools and assistance will be provided to Workforce Investment Areas
and One-Stop partner programs using the Malcolm Baldrige criteria for
performance excellence, quality and continuous improvement techniques, and
employer and participant customer satisfaction. DOL will provide recognition to
workforce entities that achieve identified levels of performance excellence.
(1.1AB)
- DOL will continue to emphasize Worker Profiling and Re-employment
Services (WPRS), whereby UI claimants likely to exhaust their benefits are
quickly identified and provided the services necessary to assist them in
quickly returning to work. (1.1B)
- DOL will continue to develop partnerships with large multi-state
employers to provide recruitment and special technical services to assist them
in meeting their labor force needs. (1.1B)
- Program and service integration in the workforce development system
has been a significant challenge for DOL funded programs. Such integration will
continue to develop as partnerships are forged and strengthened between DOL and
other Federal programs and State and local organizations. The effectiveness of
the workforce development system is expected to continuously improve through
capacity building, pilots and demonstrations, research, and technical
assistance. An emphasis on investment for pilots, technical assistance, and
veterans advocacy provided, within the workforce development system, will
enhance the integration and effectiveness of services provided to veterans.
(1.1D)
- DOL will continue to coordinate and encourage the efforts of 52
VETS State Directors (50 States, District of Columbia and Puerto Rico) as
they interact with State Workforce Investment Boards. This coordination by
VETS State Directors, delineating the nature and scope of DVOP and LVER
activities and the role of the Public Labor Exchange, will enhance the
provision of priority and maximum services to veterans in the One-Stop Centers.
(1.1D)
- DOL will continue to pilot test the use of Veterans employment
representatives in matching qualified separating military personnel with
employer needs for specific skills within a single geographic area (a program
known as ProVet promoting reemployment opportunities for
veterans). (1.1DE)
- The Women's Bureau supports increasing employment, earnings and
assistance by advocating the employment, training and retention of women to
address identified worker shortages, especially in the areas of nursing and the
placement of military spouses, older workers and workers with disabilities.
Through the Women in Apprenticeship and Non Traditional Occupations (WANTO)
grants program, the DOL Womens Bureau will continue to promote and
support women, their employers and labor unions that are seeking to increase
the participation of women in apprenticeship and other better paying
nontraditional occupations.
Significant New or Enhanced Efforts in FY 2002:
- DOL will improve program performance and performance management
activities by: 1) increased use of technology to support effective management
of program operations and performance, including the expanded use of real-time
data for program management purposes; 2) refining and enhancing the
Federal/State accountability system specified in the Act, including the
possible addition of measures related to timeliness, efficiency, and market
penetration, and the fine-tuning of measures related to quality; 3) developing
and funding innovative demonstration projects for adults that support improved
outcomes for individuals with diverse barriers to success in the workforce,
including projects operated in partnership with community- and Faith-Based
organizations, and 4) connecting agency quality initiatives and program
operations. (1.1A)
- DOL will enhance universal access of all adults to services
available through Americas Workforce Network by: 1) promoting the
information and services available through Americas Workforce Network,
including the Toll-Free Help Line and Americas Service Locator; 2)
supporting outreach to low-income groups in schools and neighborhoods through
community- and Faith-Based organizations, enlisting their assistance in
assessment and referral of individuals to local One-Stop Centers, and 3)
expanding access to services through enhanced use of Internet, telephone and
other technologies to provide a broad spectrum of access points not dependent
on a single method or medium. (1.1AB)
- DOL will utilize a comprehensive Labor Exchange Performance
Measurement System to provide performance information and incentives in support
of optimizing the delivery of labor exchange services to employers and job
seekers. This system will include performance measures, procedures for
establishing expected levels of performance, and revised data collection and
reporting procedures, relying on UI wage records as a data source. (1.1B)
- States will be required to include expected levels of performance,
reached in agreement with ETA regional offices, for the Wagner-Peyser Act labor
exchange in their five-year strategic plans. (1.1B)
- DOL will use the common language of the Occupational Information
Network (O*NET) to improve the quality and quantity of employer job orders and
job seeker resumes. The O*NET common language will be integrated into
Americas Career Kit, the One-Stop Operating System (OSOS), and the
broader labor exchange system. (1.1B)
- DOL-provided training in job order taking and writing and in
entering orders into Americas Job Bank (AJB) will enhance the skills of
front-line staff to assist employers in writing job orders and entering them
into AJB. (1.1B)
- DOL will help customers with disabilities receive the appropriate
level of service by financially assisting States and local areas to continue
developing infrastructure, increasing system capacity, and improving access to
information and services that directly address their local customers' needs.
(1.1B)
- DOL is funding an Information Technology (IT) pilot project through
the Computing Technologies Industry Association, an alliance of over 7,500
companies involved in IT. The pilot project will recruit and assess recently
separated veterans, provide occupational skills training and certification, and
place them in IT jobs with member companies. The curriculum features training
in A plus, the industry recognized entry-level certification for IT service and
support professionals. (1.1D)
- DOL has initiated a Military to Work Project with the Communication
Workers of America that is Internet based. This program allows transitioning
military members and veterans to self-register, take an assessment test and
receive an evaluation of their technical abilities. Fully qualified registrants
are referred to high profile employers (i.e., Lucent Technologies, AT&T,
U.S. West, etc.) within the telecommunications field. Those requiring
additional training or course work are directed to apprenticeship and skill
certification programs that will enable them to qualify for career building
jobs. (1.1D)
- DOL and VETS will conduct a needs assessment to identify the
underlying causes of sustained unemployment for targeted veteran subgroups,
such as women veterans. (1.1DE)
- The workforce development system has the mandate, but not the
experience or knowledge needed, to serve customers with significant
disabilities. Service to this segment of the disabled population represents the
next step in the process of their full inclusion in the workforce development
system. DOL will pursue a multifaceted program that provides guidance to, and
develops internal expertise for, all components of the workforce development
system that results in full, effective and integrated services to individuals
with significant disabilities. (1.1F)
Cross-Cutting Programs and Issues
FY 2002 is the third year of implementation for the Workforce Investment
Act of 1998. This landmark job training legislation is built on the principles
of partnership and shared accountability. DOL continues to work in close
cooperation with its State and local partners in monitoring and overseeing the
workforce development system and its Federal partners in promoting unified
planning at the State and local levels. The Act enhances the effectiveness of
the One-Stop delivery system to address employers growing difficulty in
locating, attracting, and retraining qualified workers for high-skilled jobs,
as well as workers and job seekers needs for training and
re-employment services.
In FY 2002, DOL will continue implementation of WIA, emphasizing
universal access to services available to the Nations job seekers,
workers, and employers through the One-Stop Centers. Program and service
integration in the workforce development system will continue to develop as
partnerships are forged and strengthened among DOL, other Federal programs and
State and local organizations. The effectiveness of the workforce development
system will continuously improve through capacity building, pilots and
demonstrations, research, and technical assistance. The increase in investment
for pilots, demonstrations, research, evaluation and technical assistance will
support this enhancement in the integration and effectiveness of the One-Stop
delivery system.
DOL will improve comprehensive planning for services to adults,
incumbent workers and dislocated workers, and implementation of such programs,
by: 1) supporting community audit projects that develop, collect and analyze
information on economic and labor market trends in specific geographic areas,
industries, or sectors, with a view toward improving real-time workforce
investment information and services, and 2) assisting communities in developing
comprehensive economic adjustment strategies to deal with dislocations with
community-wide impact by continuing to work with other federal agencies to
support such strategies.
In addition to its cross-cutting efforts targeted on the State and local
levels of the workforce development system, DOL continues to invest in engaging
private-sector employers both as customers and partners in the system.
DOLs Workforce Excellence strategy continues to focus on promoting and
supporting continuous improvement, high performance and customer satisfaction
throughout the One-Stop delivery system, with a primary goal being to enhance
the credibility of the system in the eyes of the business community.
DOL will build upon the earlier work of the Performance Measurement
Group by working with its partners at HHS, HUD, and the Department of Education
(ED), as well as their State and local partners, to establish the new system
performance measures as part of the new Workforce Investment System. DOL also
will address cross-cutting policy and related issues pertaining to systemic
performance accountability.
The Departments employment and training programs for veterans and
soon-to-be-separated service members and their families, are coordinated
closely with VA and DOD. This Transition Assistance Program (TAP) operates
across the country and has been shown to be effective in reducing the time of
unemployment. When TAP is implemented at the local military bases, specific
areas of coordination and cooperation are designated. For instance, DOL may
provide the instructors for the typical three-day training, DOD the meeting
space and logistical arrangements, and VA the assistance to service members who
have service-incurred disabilities.
DOL, through VETS, will continue to lead a Federal Interagency Task
Force on Certification and Licensing of Transitioning Military Personnel that
will recommend a course of action to allow qualified military personnel to
obtain both Federal and non-Federal certifications and/or licenses necessary
for civilian employment. In FY 2002, DOL will continue the effort of updating
and adding to its public website on licenses, credentials, and other
occupational requirements. VETS has contributed to the Departments
overall effort by developing and instituting the website Using (your) Military
Experience and Training, which is tailored to provide assistance to
transitioning military personnel who need assistance and veterans who may need
a credential for civilian employment.
Cross-cutting Federal efforts on the homeless make the Homeless
Veterans Reintegration Project (HVRP) an outstanding example of how
different Federal programs working together can effectively serve a population
in need. In implementing HVRP, the Department works closely with HUD and VA to
refer homeless veterans in need of shelter, substance abuse assistance or
mental health counseling, to the appropriate programs. Once stabilized, these
veterans are referred back to DOL HVRP programs for job-finding assistance.
DOL has developed a partnership with the New Mexico Department of Labor
and the National Guard Bureau to assist unemployed and underemployed veterans
by providing a one-day seminar on resume writing and interviewing. These
one-day classes will be provided using a distance learning modality in two
locations (Albuquerque and Santa Fe). The objective of this project is to
improve the opportunities for the unemployed and underemployed veterans in
their search for suitable employment in the civilian workforce.
Outcome Goal 1.2Increase the Number of
Youth Making A Successful Transition to Work
FY 2002 Performance Goals
Total Funds for This Outcome Goal (in
Billions) |
$2.9 |
$3.0 |
$2.9 |
$2.4 |
$2.7 |
$2.2 |
$1.6 |
$1.2 |
- Increase entrance and retention of youth registered under the
WIA youth program in education, training, or employment. In Program Year 2002:
- Of the 14-18 year-old youth who enter the program without a
diploma or equivalent, 51% will attain a secondary school diploma or equivalent
by the first quarter after exit;
- 63% of the 1921 year-old youth will be employed in
the first quarter after program exit; and
- 77% of the 1921 year-old youth employed in the first
quarter after exit will be employed in the third quarter after program
exit.
- Increase participation, retention, and earnings of Job Corps
graduates in employment and education. In Program Year 2002:
- 90% will enter employment or be enrolled in education;
- The number of students who earn diplomas will increase by
20%;
- Graduates with jobs will be employed at average hourly
wages of $8.20; and
- 70% will continue to be employed or enrolled in education
six months after their initial placement date.
- Increase entrance and retention of Youth Opportunity Grant
participants in education, training, or employment. In Program Year 2002:
- Of the 14-18 year-old youth who enter the program without
a diploma or equivalent, 51% will attain a secondary school diploma or
equivalent by the first quarter after exit;
- 63% of the 1921 year-old youth will be employed in
the first quarter after program exit; and
- 77% of the 1921 year-old participants will be
employed in the third quarter after program exit.
|
Means and Strategies
Operating Agencies: ETA
Significant New or Enhanced Efforts in FY 2002:
- DOL will continue to improve the capacity of the workforce
development system to provide youth with skills, and offer them a comprehensive
array of services so that they are able to successfully transition to the
workforce as they continue their education and training. In collaboration with
local youth providers, our partners, and stakeholders, these areas will be
emphasized:
- Establishing strong local youth councils that bring together
local workforce training providers, schools, community organizations, and
others in an effort to strategically align and leverage resources to create
community youth assistance strategies linked to services; local youth and labor
market needs to improve the efficiency and quality of youth
- Promoting the provision of a systematic offering of comprehensive
youth services based upon individual assessment and tailored to the age and
maturity level of each individual youth;
- Encouraging and promoting youth connections to the One-Stop
delivery system;
- Visiting and providing operational and technical assistance to
grantees for the Responsible Reintegration for Young Offender program to ensure
that they become fully operational in the shortest time period and to avoid
potentially harmful issues in program start-up; and,
- Investing in a performance accountability system where data from
performance measurement is built into a process for continuously improving the
provision of services and activities and which promotes customer satisfaction.
(1.2A, C)
- DOL will enhance career development support, including expanded
placement services, for Job Corps graduates and former enrollees. The
Department will continue to aggressively implement school-to-work strategies
and build mutually beneficial relationships with WIA partnersespecially
employer involvement in the development of occupational training programs. DOL
will accomplish this by:
- Placing continued emphasis on performance in the competitive
procurement process;
- Incorporating findings from reports to-date from the long-term
evaluation study of Job Corps and other external bodies, such as the Office of
Inspector General and General Accounting Office, to enhance program design;
- Accelerating student learning through innovative instructional
methodology and the incorporation of technology both as a training tool and to
facilitate accessing information about jobs or further education;
- Creating partnerships with employers to customize training,
provide work-based learning sites, and to expand Job Corps job placement
network; and,
- Integrating Job Corps into the broader workforce development
system. (1.2B)
- DOL will continue to reflect performance/results-based criteria in
its contract procurements. Job Corps' center operations and outreach,
admissions/career transition services contracts will be procured specifying the
outcomes and quality indicators the government seeks in contract performance.
Performance results will be published and used with quality assessment results
to form the contractor's Past Effectiveness rating, which is a determining
factor in the Department's decision to award option years or subsequent
contracts. (1.2B)
Cross-Cutting Programs and Issues
Opportunities for youth to make a successful transition to a career path
will include development of Business and Community Visions for creating
relationships and networks with employers, One-Stops, and Workforce Investment
Boards. DOL will also implement a youth development professional apprenticeship
and certification to improve the skill of front-line staff delivery of services
to youth.
Linkage with HHS programs will be established to provide shelter for
runaway youth, drug prevention for youth in at-risk circumstances, educational
or workforce activities for youth living in high poverty areas, and access to
child-care services. Support will be given to coordinated activities with
HUDs Youth Build and Jobs Plus programs, as well as outreach programs to
youth in public housing.
The involvement of Faith-Based organizations, as partners, to expand
educational, cultural, recreational and career opportunities for youth, will be
facilitated.
$507 |
$426 |
$483 |
$457 |
$420 |
$413 |
$403 |
$383 |
- Produce and disseminate timely, accurate, and relevant economic
information.
- Improve the accuracy, efficiency, and relevancy of economic
measures.
|
Means and Strategies
Operating Agency: BLS
Sustained Efforts in FY 2002:
- DOL will continue to carry out its mandate as the principal
fact-finding agency for the Federal Government in the field of labor economics.
This includes producing impartial and objective essential economic data for the
Nation in the areas of employment and unemployment, price change, compensation,
safety and health, productivity, and economic growth. Business, labor,
governments, the media, and the public rely on these measures to develop
economic policy and make well-informed decisions. (1.3AB)
- By utilizing technological advances, DOL will improve the
operational processes used to develop economic data, specifically through the
use of the BLS Statistical Program Model. (1.3AB)
- The Departments BLS is a knowledge-based organization composed
of information workers: individuals who must have the knowledge, skills, and
abilities to gather, analyze, and disseminate statistical information relevant
to policy makers and American citizens. The rapid development of information
technology and new approaches and methods for data collection and analysis has
changed and continues to change the nature of the work at BLS. As a result, BLS
needs to insure that it remains competitive with other organizations in terms
of the salaries, benefits, training, challenging work, and other incentives it
offers to its highly skilled workers. BLS will continue to focus its efforts in
several key human capital activities, specifically in recruitment and
retention, such as the development of an intern program to attract top-level
candidates. (1.3AB)
Significant New or Enhanced Efforts in FY 2002
- DOL will publish a new measure of price change at the consumer level
to supplement the official Consumer Price Index (CPI). This index will more
closely approximate a cost-of-living index (COLI) by reflecting more completely
the consumer responses to changes in relative prices. (1.3B)
- DOL will update consumption expenditure weights every two years to
reduce the age of the Consumer Price Index (CPI) market basket beginning in
2002. Previously weights were updated every ten years. The use of more up to
date weights will help to ensure that the CPI more accurately reflects how
consumers allocate their spending. (1.3B)
- DOL will complete a full field test of a new computer-assisted data
collection (CADC) system to electronically collect Consumer Price Index items
other than rent. Electronic collection offers numerous benefits, including the
reduction in time required to transmit and process data; increased accuracy and
efficiency in data entry and review due to field staff directly entering data
instead of completing handwritten survey forms for later input by clerical
staff; and data editing during data collection. (1.3B)
- DOL will reweight the Producer Price Indexes using 1997 shipment
values and updated input/output ratios. The updated weights will provide a more
current revenue value for each industry, and the updated input/output ratios
will allow for more accurate adjustment for transactions among companies
internal to any industry grouping. (1.3B)
- To accommodate the fast pace of products entering and exiting the
marketplace in the international economy, DOL will reweight and publish U.S.
Import and Export Indexes using 2000 trade values. (1.3B)
- DOL will begin releasing monthly job openings and labor turnover
data as a developmental series to provide a more complete picture of
employers demand for workers. Presently, there is no economic indicator
of the demand for labor with which to assess the presence or extent of labor
shortages in the United States. (1.3B)
- DOL will produce measures of labor productivity and unit labor costs
for 15 additional service-producing industries. These measures will provide
valuable information on the changing dynamics and performance of the service
providing sector-- the largest and fastest growing segment of the economy.
(1.3B)
- DOL will publish Covered Employment and Wages data (ES-202) for
calendar year 2001 using a North American Industry Classification System
(NAICS) 2002 structure. NAICS replaces the Standard Industrial Classification
(SIC) system and offers a new and more consistent approach to industrial
classification that better reflects the modern economy. BLS establishment
survey programs use the ES-202 program output as a sampling frame. (1.3B)
Cross-Cutting Programs and Issues
DOL, as a producer of economic statistics on the U.S. economy, must work
in partnership with other Federal, State, and international statistical
agencies. These organizations encounter common and sometimes overlapping issues
that must be coordinated for the benefit of the users of these data. Such
coordination not only maximizes DOL performance, but also helps to improve the
accuracy, efficiency, and relevancy of economic measures produced by the
Department.
As a Federal statistical agency, the Departments BLS is a member
of the Interagency Council on Statistical Policy, a committee of
representatives from 15 agencies, which works to identify areas for
collaboration. During FY 2002, the Council will work on enhancements to
FedStats, a one-stop shopping web site for Federal statistics,
including the development of a national statistical information
infrastructure.
As a member of the international statistical community, DOL also works
with foreign statistical agencies and international organizations in efforts to
enhance comparability of concepts and definitions. During FY 2002, DOL will
participate on two statistical working parties sponsored by the Organization
for Economic Cooperation and Development, which will address issues dealing
with improving and standardizing the data on productivity and
employment/unemployment used around the world.
|